Lead me to the Cross: Promises of a PLACE!
Daily Devotions based the Sermon from February 28, 2021
THIS WEEK: Lead Me to the Cross…See the Ladder…Find God & His Promises!
Promises are easy to make.
They are more challenging to carry out.
How many of you parents have made promises to your kids that you failed to follow through on? It pains you when a child says to one of your promises, “It doesn’t matter. It won’t happen anyway.”
Ouch.
Wouldn’t it be great to be completely faithful in following through every one of your promises? It would be. But as human beings it is impossible.
But not for God, the true God.
Jacob, when he was on the run from Esau, gave God many reasons to appear to him and condemn him for his deception and trickery. Yet when God appears in the dream as Jacob is headed to his Uncle Laban, he starts and stays on promises. What we see in this series of promises God gives to Jacob are themes that have some specificity to Jacob, but are similar promises that are real for us today.
Here’s God’s promises to Jacob:
13 There above it [the ladder] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)
Now let’s break them apart into seven promises God made to Jacob and makes to us. The first today:
I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. (Genesis 28:13)
God gives Jacob a promise of a “PLACE.” The land on which he was lying would be a place where Jacob and his descendants would live. Granted it would take 100s of years for the promise to be fulfilled when Joshua brought the people of Israel into Canaan after 400 years in Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness.
The promise perhaps sounds odd that God would give land to someone that perhaps technically it didn’t belong to. (How many of you would like someone else giving your house to another person!) However, it reminds us of Psalm 24:1:
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
God has not promised us a place in the land of Israel (Jacob), but he has promised us a place:
In my Father’s house are many rooms; …I am going there to prepare a place for you. (Jn 14:2)
Jacob was passing through on his journey to Laban. God would eventually give the land he was lying on as a more permanent home for the descendants of Jacob.
We are passing through this world. It is only a temporary resting point until the LORD brings us to the place he has prepared for us in heaven. That is our permanent home.
God’s promised it.
Apply: What changes in your perspective as you think of your home on this earth as temporary and your home in heaven is the place God is preparing for you as your “forever home”?
Prayer; Lord, thank you for your promises and your faithfulness to carry them out. Keep me focused on my permanent home of heaven as the place you have promised to give to me. AMEN.
Lead Me to the Cross: See the Ladder…Who God Is
Daily Devotions based the Sermon from February 28, 2021
THIS WEEK: Lead Me to the Cross…See the Ladder…Find God & His Promises!
Don’t you wish you wrote down all your dreams? Sometimes you wake up and the dream is so vivid that you remember details, but if you don’t write it down, you quickly forget.
While many dreams are nothing memorable, there might be a few you remember to this day.
On occasion God would use a dream to communicate with his people. One such dream was a ladder Jacob saw with angels ascending and descending from the throne of God. Along with the vivid imagery, came equally poignant words from God.
Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
What an amazing dream. Jacob was right, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God!” Jacob would not forget this dream.
Neither should we. God reveals some amazing realities of who he is. What makes the Lord unique among all other gods.
- God comes TO us, even when we run FROM him.
So often we try to find God, reach out for God, try to get into God’s favor on our own effort. We can spend a lifetime trying to build OUR ladder to heaven. Jacob was on the run. But God came TO him. He does the same for you.
- God is PRESENT, even when we think he is ABSENT.
Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” Ever felt the same? Or perhaps asked, “God where are you?” Our perception at times is that God is absent. God is not a god that is far off, but one that is near and accessible.
- God is FAITHFUL, even when we are UNFAITHFUL.
God could have condemned Jacob for his trickery and deception, yet he comes to him to reaffirm his promises to Jacob. God shows his faithfulness to his unfaithful people.
These three qualities God reveals to Jacob are not just for Jacob, they are for you too. In fact if you are looking for three ways to explain why the God of the Bible is unique among all other gods, this is a pretty good list!
Apply: Which of these three attributes of God is most meaningful to you?
Prayer: Lord thank you for being OUR God who comes to us, is always present and always faithful. AMEN.
Read the rest of the week for seven promises God shows to Jacob and to us!
Lead Me to the Cross: With a Promise
Daily Devotions based the Sermon from February 21, 2021
THIS WEEK: Lead Me to the Cross…Find the Ram…Find a Substitute!
If you don’t pass the BAR exam, you can’t be a lawyer.
If you don’t pass your driving test, you can’t drive a car.
If you don’t pass your final exams, you can’t advance to the next grade.
Passing a test at one level opens opportunity at the next.
God rewarded the faithfulness of Abraham who passed the test of faith by reaffirming the promise he had made:
Genesis 22:15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
It’s hard to imagine “What if?” Abraham had wavered and run from being willing to sacrifice Isaac. It’s a question we’ll never know the answer to and that’s OK. The reality is God gave Abraham a heart of faith to trust and obey his promises. As a result? God affirmed the promise he had made.
“All nations on earth will be blessed.”
The test isn’t just about you. In the moment it may be because you just want to pass the test. However, passing the test maybe about the lives of hundreds or thousands more. Consider the justices on the Supreme Court. If they hadn’t prepared for and passed their BAR exams, became lawyers, then judges, their impact on the lives of others would be much less today. The passing of the test has impact on the people that you encounter after the test.
In this case, whether he realized it or not, the promise of God was resting on a passing grade from the heart of Abraham. Of course the Lord provided what Abraham needed, but the reality of him passing the test and being willing to give up Isaac had impact on every nation and person on earth.
Generations after Abraham, God’s promise was finally fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Through him, a descendant of Abraham and Isaac, all the nations of the world would be blessed.
But Jesus had to pass a test too: Go through life without sin. Good news…he passed where we all had failed. Romans 5:18-19 says,
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
At times we read Old Testament stories as if they were nice stories…which they are. However, each one is recorded because it has personal impact on your faith today. Any interruption in God’s plan of salvation and we would have no salvation. Same is true for the test of Abraham’s faith. He fails…salvation fails. He passes…God’s promise and plan continues to the reality of your heart today.
God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled in the cross of Jesus…the cross of Jesus is at the heart of God’s promise to you today!
Apply: What test of faith has God put you through that now has blessing and impact in the life of someone else?
Prayer: LORD, thank you for your faithfulness to give your people the strength to pass the tests you present. We also thank you for being faithful to your promises to people of the past to give us your blessings in the present. AMEN.
Lead Me to the Cross: With a Substitute
Daily Devotions based the Sermon from February 21, 2021
THIS WEEK: Lead Me to the Cross…Find the Ram…Find a Substitute!
Abraham was right. The Lord will provide the lamb.
We don’t know much about Isaac’s thoughts as he was bound and put on the altar. We don’t know what conversations Abraham had with Isaac about what God had asked him to do. It seems very little, as Isaac asked about the lamb for the sacrifice on the way up the mountain. But I can imagine none was more relieved than Isaac when the angel stopped his father from taking his life. None was more relieved than Isaac when the Lord provided a substitute in the thicket to be sacrificed instead of him.
Abraham was right. The Lord did provide a lamb.
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:13-14)
Abraham’s words weren’t just a statement of reality…they were prophetic.
The mountain of the Lord on which they were standing was Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah became the location of the temple of the Lord in the days of Solomon. On this mountain hundreds of thousands of lambs would be sacrificed again and again for the sin of people. People weren’t sacrificed for their own sin, animals were.
Hebrews 10:11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
The daily sacrifices were ineffective in filling the need of taking away sins.
So God provided a greater substitute, his Son, his beloved Son, Jesus.
Abraham was right, the Lord will provide the lamb.
This time it was the Lamb of God.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
The reality was, We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
The Lord was willing to place our sins on Jesus so we would not have to be sacrificed for them…Jesus was, once for all.
Hebrews 7:26 Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
Abraham was right. “On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided.”
On this very mountain, where a ram was provided as a substitute for Isaac, a Lamb was provided as a substitute for us all.
Abraham was right. “The Lord will provide the Lamb.”
Apply: Visualize the transfer of your sins of this week to Jesus. See him on the cross as your substitute!
PRAYER: Lord, thank you for providing a substitute in Jesus to do the work of paying for our sin which we or any lamb or ram could never accomplish. AMEN.
Lead Me to the Cross: With Conviction
Daily Devotions based the Sermon from February 21, 2021
THIS WEEK: Lead Me to the Cross…Find the Ram…Find a Substitute!
The decision was already made.
Even before they left their home for the three day journey to Mount Moriah, Abraham had decided to sacrifice his son…or should I say, follow the directive of God.
The decision wasn’t to sacrifice his son or not…that would have been a terribly agonizing decision. The decision was to trust and obey the word of the Lord. That was a constant Abraham had decided long ago.
So while we look at the action of Abraham about to take Isaac’s life, it seems like a painful and heart wrenching decision. But perhaps it was simple because he was convinced trusting and obeying the word of the Lord was ALWAYS the right decision…even when humanly speaking it seemed irrational.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. (Genesis 22:9-10)
God saw the conviction of faith that led Abraham to trust and obey. As a result? Test passed.
That’s all God was looking for. A simple exercise of faith that exhibited love for God over love for Isaac. So God stopped the test.
11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:11-12)
Abraham loved Isaac. But he loved the LORD more.
What would happen in your life if you made a decision of faith to simply and always trust God and obey his Word…always…even when it seemed illogical?
It wouldn’t answer every question of life like what color to paint a room, or where to go to college, or where to work. But it would give the foundation upon which every decision of life is made.
What color to paint a room? The color is optional, but I’m not going to spend money painting in place of honoring the Lord with the tithe of my offering. So if I can’t afford it with the 90% that’s left…no painting right now.
Where should I go to college? The college is optional, but I may assess where I can attend a school that will support my walk with the Lord versus be a constant threat and challenge to my faith. While I may get accepted to my “dream” institution…I may quickly turn it down as it will challenge my walk with the LORD.
Where should I work? Not sure. There are probably many places, but I will ask, “Where can I use the gifts and talents God has given to me to give glory to him and be a blessing to others?” That is non-negotiable. So even if I was offered a six-figure income with potential for seven, I may easily turn it down because it will conflict with my ability to trust God and obey his word.
These may be “big decisions” but really every day we are invited to make the same decision, “Today I will trust God and obey his Word.” With that decision made…options are eliminated.
Abraham didn’t consider other options, because he knew there wasn’t any other options. To trust God and obey his Word, he had to sacrifice Isaac. In his heart he did. So God ended the test. Abraham passed.
Apply: What would your days look like if you made a decision of faith today and simply committed to the LORD with his help to always trust him and obey his Word? Try it for the next 10 days…what do you notice?
PRAYER: Lord, help me by the power of your Spirit to always trust you and obey your word so that I pass the tests of faith you allow to come my way. AMEN.